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I just got back from Japan. Mr T and I had a big eating trip and I only had Teriyaki once. The only time I had teriyaki was when we had yakitori. Even then, it was a yakitori chain. This made me curious: Is teriyaki an authentic Japanese ingredient or a western invention of an eastern cuisine, just like admiral chicken in the US?

I could not find any official source but all my googling leads me to the definition of “Teriyaki”as a cooking method where meat are marinated in seasoned soy sauce and grilled. One thing for sure Teriyaki is a Japanese word. “Teri” refers to the shiny coat on the meat created by the sugar in the sauce and “Yaki” means grilled.

Some articles alluded to the fact that it is created outside Japan by Hawaiians of Japanese descent. Others suggested is a cooking method invented in Japan during 17th century, when Japan underwent an urbanisation. During this time, they were exposed to new ingredients and new cooking technique which give rise to “teriyaki”. In any case, Teriyaki was not as widely featured (almost non-existent) in Japan as compared to outside Japan.

Anyway, I have always make my own Teriyaki sauce ever since I got Harumi Kurihara cookbook – Harumi’s Japanese Home Cooking. Teriyaki sauce is easy to make. It can be made in a batch and store in an airtight container for weeks. The sauce can be to marinate meat, fish and even Tofu or even used on stir fry to spruce up a quick mid-week meals.

She has simplified Japanese home cooking making it possible for non-Japanese to create japanese dishes outside Japan. I recommend anyone who is interested in cooking homely Japanese food to check out the recipes.